HAPPY THE MAN

The Muse Awakens

(INSIDEOUT MUSIC IOMCD187)

After Happy The Manís
smashing show at the NEARfest 2000 the waiting for the proclaimed
comeback-record The Muse Awakens began. This waiting is being rewarded
now, because the 11 new tracks are full of the trademarks which typified the
band so much: repetitive, slowly shifting patterns on divers instruments, lovely
slurring Moog-soloís with that characteristic tone-bending and the long lasting
string-chords. Itís clear Happy The Man is going back to the intense progressive
jazz-rock from Crafty Hands (1978), although the dreamlike spheres from
the eponymous debut (1977) also gets a lot of space. The opening-track
Contemporary Insanity is revealing in that matter; complex rhythms, with
bumping baritone-saxophone swipes and screeching guitar- and synthesizer-soloís.
Lunch At The Psychedelicatessen, in which Frank Wyatt lets
himself go in a lovely way on saxophones and other woodwinds, is also dominated
by this kind of Gentle Giant-like riotousness. And Barking Spider is
based on breaks in such a way, that the new drummer Joe Bergamini
(from 4Front) can exhibit himself perfectly. The sphere-full side
gets a chance in amongst others the title-track with Spyro Gyra-tinted, melodic
clarinet-parts. Kindred Spirits is a beautiful piece, in which the
echoing electric piano evokes exactly that kind of sphere which made The
Moon, I Sing (from Crafty Hands) and the Twin Peaks-soundtrack so
sensitive. But in these sensitive tracks thereís also a lot of progression and
dynamic-difference, like the bombastic burp in Adrift, which is mostly
dominated by a sultry saxophone. In the epic tracks complexity and serenity flow
together constantly. For instance, Stepping Through Time combines a
Camel-like flute in the intro with a splitting guitar-solo in the climax, which
is being followed by a virtuoso keyboard-duel, one of the many passages in which
David Rosenthal turns Kit Watkins into a very good
memory effortlessly. This combination is also present in the closing couple
Maui Sunset and Il Quinto Mare, which are being surrounded by
see-sounds. They lead to the most sparkling part of the album, after which the
band works musing (sic) and slowly toward the end in that typical Happy The
Man-way. Finally, the vocal aspect in the key as the demo-LP 3rd :
Better Late (recorded 1979, released 1983), comes to the front in
Shadowlites only; in that track Stanley Whitakerís slightly
distorted voice colours the refrain in an almost commercial way. In the
press-information Whitaker tells that there are already three new vocal
compositions. This means that The Muse Awakens is not only a very strong return
to the top of the progressive rock-front, but also a start of many more
beautiful things.